Curriculum Overview
At Woodside Primary School, we provide children with a broad and balanced curriculum, planning in cross-curricular topics. We ensure that we engage the children before planning a new unit by asking them what they want to find out. We focus on knowledge, skills and understanding of each area and ensure that by not trying to cover everything, we enable depth of understanding.
Summary of Intent
Our children are delightful, well behaved and want to learn. Through the curriculum and teaching pedagogy, they develop independence and resilience, both in thinking and practice, and are beginning to question and challenge ideas and opinions they have been exposed to.
In this busy digital age, where time for first hand experiences seems to be more limited, we aim to inspire and enthuse the children to take an active interest in current affairs and in the world around them, thus preparing them for society where views are not fixed and are, or should be, open to challenge and question.
The curriculum, by design, allows and encourages children to learn how to speak out with confidence whilst respecting the views of others in a safe and secure environment. The school values of respect, cooperation, determination, trust, kindness and responsibility all underpin this. Our curriculum focuses on encouraging independent thinking through enquiry based learning.
- PSHE allows for challenge of values and views. It gives knowledge beyond the content subject curriculum and encourages the acceptance that all are different, yet equal.
- History, geography and RE are all structured progressively with each unit investigating a key enquiry question, helping children to explore concepts while questioning values from the past / present and how they are relevant in today’s society.
- Art and DT are based around a scheme which encourages collaborative learning where ideas are questioned and challenged. Children are given time to explore techniques and are encouraged to give reasons for decisions throughout.
- Science is driven by investigation and self / group discovery, both inside and outside of the classroom.
- Maths problem solving and investigations allows children to solve problems, independently applying techniques.
- PE, dance and music allows self-expression as well as an opportunity to learn new skills both collaboratively and independently.
- English lessons give the skills needed to empower children to confidently share their views, both written and spoken, and the reading curriculum enables the children to access texts to support research within enquiries.
- ICT teaches children to make safe choices independently through our e-safety and to explore digital concepts within computing lessons.
- Trips and visitors are used to enhance the intent of the curriculum and are carefully positioned within topics to get the most out of the experience.
- Use of picture news and assembly to explore current affairs that are not just within their immediate circle.
- Outdoor learning to develop language and support with emotional wellbeing.
- British Sign Language is taught from Reception, enabling children to be inclusive of others and learn to communicate in an alternative way.
Implementation
Each scheme has been carefully selected to enable the intent to be met. There is a clear progression of skills for each subject area and comprehensive knowledge organisers are used to support planning and content delivery. These are shared with children and parents and are rich in vocabulary. Teachers refer back to linked areas taught previously when assessing prior knowledge and starting points (linked to Rosenshine).
English
- Phonics: Little Wandle Letters and Sounds.
- Reading comprehension: Little Wandle until progression from scheme, then focused teaching of reading in whole lessons from Years 2-6- focus on fluency and comprehension.
- Writing: Literacy Tree.
- Spelling: Through progression of spelling patterns.
- Handwriting: Through a progression of handwriting joins.
STEM
- Maths: Master The Curriculum and Mastering number- EYFS and KS 1.
- Times tables: Times Table Rock Stars.
- DT: Kapow Scheme.
- Science: Based on Kapow
- ICT: Kapow (including E safety).
Humanities
- History: Kapow.
- Geography: Kapow.
- RE: Kapow, assemblies.
Arts / Wellbeing
- ART: Kapow.
- Music: Kapow.
- BSL: British Sign Language.
- PSHE / Wellbeing: Jigsaw scheme, circle times, use of outdoor learning.
- PE: Complete PE / All for Sport.
The schemes are used as a basis for the curriculum which are adapted by highly skilled and trained teachers, adapting learning and scaffolding where needed. Staff have high expectations and are ambitious for all pupils.
Five main aims of each subject are the heart of the curriculum and can be seen across the school and each subject area. These are taken from the aims within the National Curriculum to provide clarity and relevance to the community of Woodside. The planning and delivery feeds from these aims.
A best kept curriculum: Attitudes, Behaviours, Experiences, Skills, Thinking, Knowledge, Enduring, People, Technology are features that underpin and make the curriculum successful across all subjects. It ensures that all subjects are held in equal esteem by the school community, ensuring that all children receive a broad and balanced curriculum.
Leaders use a range of sources to ensure that the attributes are being achieved. Teachers are clear on how this feeds into the curriculum design and how to evidence this.
Core
Each subject has a set of core objectives - our core curriculum and the basis of the knowledge and skills that children need to master each year. These are taken from the subject progressions and have been chosen to reduce cognitive load for several reasons:
- Developmental Appropriateness: The core curriculum is designed to align with the developmental stage of the children. It introduces foundational concepts and skills gradually, considering the cognitive abilities and limitations of young learners. By focusing on essential knowledge and skills, educators ensure that pupils are not overwhelmed with too much information at once, reducing cognitive load.
- Cognitive Load Theory: Cognitive load theory suggests that learning is more effective when the cognitive load, or the mental effort required to process information, is appropriately managed. By focusing on a core curriculum, we aim to optimise learning by presenting information in a structured and manageable way, allowing pupils to build on their existing knowledge without excessive cognitive strain.
- Prioritising Key Learning Objectives: The core curriculum identifies key learning objectives that are deemed essential for academic and personal development. By prioritising these objectives, pupils acquire fundamental knowledge and skills that form the basis for further learning in more advanced stages of education.
- Consistency and Coherence: A core curriculum provides consistency and coherence across the school, ensuring that all pupils have access to essential learning experiences regardless. This helps in creating a common educational foundation and ensures equitable opportunities for all.
- Efficient Use of Instructional Time: Focusing on essential knowledge and skills allows us to allocate instructional time more efficiently. By streamlining the curriculum, we can delve deeper into key concepts, provide targeted support to students who may be struggling, and offer enriching learning experiences that enhance understanding and retention of essential content.
Overall, our core curriculum serves to optimise the learning process by reducing cognitive load, prioritising key learning objectives, ensuring consistency and coherence, and making efficient use of instructional time. There are cross subject links for all subjects.
Reading, writin and maths Targets By Year
Art
Art is taught throughout the primary phase and it encourages collaborative learning where ideas are questioned and challenged. There is a focus on art skills which are developed and worked on as children progress through the school. Children are shown specific art skills and the technical vocabulary linked to the skills area and are encouraged to use the vocabulary throughout their learning.
Art and Design Core Curriculum
BSL
We are proud to be at the national forefront of teaching British Sign Language (BSL) in primary school. All pupils at Woodside Primary have weekly lessons with a Deaf BSL instructor and, when they are older, can take nationally recognised qualifications in sign language. Many of our pupils have achieved the Signature Level 1 BSL Certificate, which is the equivalent of the first year of the new BSL GCSE.
Computing
Wherever possible, links are made across the curriculum, to explore further concepts, but also to reinforce and recap learnings. It is important that children develop the ability to make links so that they can see that nothing happens in isolation. Children will be encouraged to think about previous learning when starting a new topic as well as throughout each unit.
Design Technology
Design technology is taught throughout the primary phase, including EYFS, with children exploring real products and purposes, designing, making and evaluating as they go. They are taught and encouraged to use technical vocabulary throughout their learning. This closely relates to the whole school curriculum intent as it allows exploration and enquiry and enables the children to learn from their evaluations.
Design Technology Core Curriculum
Design Technology Curriculum Map
Early Years
Within EYFS, we follow a two-year cycle, which enables topics to be planned across the phase and teachers to work together to ensure progression of skills between Nursery and Reception, being mindful of the progression to Year 1. We follow the guidance from Development Matters as a basis for our curriculum.
Development Matters - Nursery and Reception
EYFS Long Term Plan *Being updated
English
Learning to read and write is key to children accessing the wider curriculum at school. We encourage children to have a love of reading and encourage them to share books from the classroom and library and we celebrate reading at every opportunity, with an annual celebration during our February book week.
In early years and key stage 1, reading is taught through a phonics approach - using Little Wandle Letters and Sound and alongside this, comprehension, fluency and expression are taught. Children are taught in a variety of ways - both whole class and smaller guided groups with the teacher and teaching assistant.
In key stage 2, we teach reading through text extracts and whole books, where key reading skills are taught explicitly. We encourage the children to question and talk about texts as they read. The children are taught a variety of comprehension skills each week.
We teach writing through The Literacy Tree, incorporating grammar learning within this. Grammar is important when helping children construct accurately written sentences - and helping them to progress to the grammar test at the end of key stage 2. Children write for a variety of different purposes, following skilled teaching and modelling by their teachers.
Spelling is taught weekly through learning of specific patterns. Children play games and do exercises related to these. Words are sent home for children to learn each week. Handwriting follows a Letter Join programme and children are taught cursive script once they can form individual letters accurately.
English - Progression of Grammar
English - Spelling at Woodside
Reading - Progression of Skills
Reading - Teaching after Little Wandle
Geography
The national curriculum organises the attainment targets for Geography under Locational knowledge, Place knowledge, Human and physical geography and Geographical skills and fieldwork and so we have planned our Geography curriculum with these strands running through each and every unit.
History
As well as covering the National Curriculum for History, we aim to give pupils a more diverse historical awareness through adapting units and also through making links between historical events and current issues, for example through ‘Picture News’. This equips our pupils with the right knowledge, skills and understanding to be ready for the next stage in their education and to be questioning, self-motivated learners.
Maths
Maths is taught through a progressive maths scheme, Master the Curriculum. We believe that maths in best taught through a “build it, draw it, talk it, write it” approach. We use a variety of resources from Numicon to beads to support the physical exploration of maths and encourage application through a mastery approach. We develop children’s place value early within each year group, to ensure that they are able to apply their knowledge when focusing on other aspects of maths.
We undertake daily fluency each morning to rehearse basic number skills and encourage parents to help their children to learn their times tables - using TT Rock Stars to challenge themselves further!
Music
We provide opportunities for all children to create, play, perform and enjoy music, to develop skills and appreciate and evaluate a wide variety of musical forms, discussing using correct terminology.
PE
Children have two hours a week of PE – which is taught by one of our specialist sport coaches, the class teacher or our dance teacher. Children experience gym, dance, striking and fielding, invasion games and athletics as well as for some year groups more adventurous activities that take place off site. In year 3, children have a term of swimming lessons that take place at a local swimming pool.
Phonics and Reading
The reading curriculum is designed to ensure that all pupils:
- Read easily, fluently and with good understanding.
- Develop the habit of reading widely and often, for both pleasure and information.
- Acquire a wide vocabulary, an understanding of grammar and knowledge of linguistic conventions for reading, writing and spoken language.
- Appreciate our rich and varied literary heritage.
- Use discussion in order to learn; they should be able to elaborate and explain clearly their understanding and ideas.
We follow the National Curriculum as we believe it sets out a clear path of learning ready for the next education phase. Reading underpins children’s access to the curriculum and it clearly impacts on their achievement. There is considerable research to show that children who enjoy reading and choose to read benefit not only academically, but also socially and emotionally.
To be able to read, children need to be taught an efficient strategy to decode words. That strategy is phonics. Phonic decoding skills must be practised until children become automatic and fluent when reading. Fluent decoding is only one component of reading. Comprehension skills need to be taught to enable children to make sense of what they read, build on what they already know and give them a desire to want to read. Reading increases children’s vocabulary because they encounter words they would rarely hear or use in everyday speech.
Little Wandle
Why did Woodside choose Little Wandle?
Little Wandle carefully maps out the order in which phonics will be taught, and this shows the progression through the framework. Teachers explicitly follow the plans set out within the scheme which enables them to teach at pace. All resources are provided by Little Wandle for daily lessons and reading practice.
Basic training has been completed by all staff members but further training and CPD is always available. Rigorous half termly assessments are carried out to ensure children are picking up phonics as they are taught and interventions (Daily Keep Up and Rapid Catch Up from Year 2) happen where needed. In addition to this, there are a set of ‘tricky words’ that the children are required to learn by sight.
Reading in EYFS and Key Stage 1
Nursery: As we follow Little Wandle Foundations in Nursery, we use their resources for phonics, love for reading and language. From teaching phonological awareness through nursery rhymes and tuning into phonics games as well as getting the most out of our story times, Little Wandle guides our teachers with informative videos, planning and resources. Nursery also leads a meeting with parents to ensure learning is being furthered at home in the same way.
Reception: We follow the planning schedule set out by Little Wandle, starting in the first full week that the children are in school. Resources provided with the scheme are used and the phonics is pure.
Year 1: There is a continuation of the Little Wandle Phonics Programme in Year 1. There is a revision of sounds before moving on. Phonics is taught daily and again the children will experience three reading practice sessions a week - as in Reception.
In the summer term, the children take their Phonics Screening Check. We assess half termly, picking up on any children who have not grasped the phonics, enabling targeted phonics interventions to be put in place through our Daily Keep Up. These targeted interventions are from the Little Wandle scheme. After three weeks of Daily Keep Up, an assessment will take place again to show the impact of our intervention. Some children may also be on the SEND version of Little Wandle.
Year 2: In Year 2, whole class reading practice happens every day. Those children who did not pass the PSC in Year 1 or who are not fully secure with their phonics will be attending a Rapid Catch Up intervention programme and will be reading the relevant Little Wandle reading book (as explained above).
Children have phonics sessions daily, followed by three reading practice sessions a week, where they focus on the decoding, prosody and comprehension. The books read are carefully selected to rehearse phonics learnt in whole class sessions and develop fluency, prosody and comprehension. Children are grouped according to the GPCs that the children need to rehearse and move onto different books when their GPCs are secure for the next book or phase. The children are assigned their reading book at the beginning of the week to read at home. Parents are asked to read it every day with their child. The children share the same book all week with an adult, which allows for fluency, prosody and understanding as well as rehearsal of phonics skills. To instil a love of reading at home as well as school, the children choose a sharing book each week from the class library.
Reading in Key Stage 2
The teaching of phonics continues in Key Stage 2 where children are not secure with their phonetic understanding. Targeted interventions are completed using Little Wandle Rapid Catch Up. Assessments are then taken every three weeks to show the impact of the intervention and to show our next step as professionals. This is also the same as in our SEND programme too. When the children have been assessed as ‘fluent readers’ the children will then progress onto our coloured scheme books until they are free readers.
Within our KS2 reading curriculum, there is a strong focus on comprehension of text. Throughout the construction of our reading curriculum, we use the EEF research to ensure all key components such as word reading, teacher modelling and fluency are included within our framework to teach reading in KS2. Through our progression document, we have highlighted the specific skills EYFS-Year 6 will need to learn across their reading journey. These reading lessons will support these skills to flourish. Through this framework, we can foster a love of reading, include non-fiction text to support our teaching of the foundation subjects and cover a wide range of genres.
Teachers will also show that they are a reader too by reading to the children. Our reading spine offers a range of titles, authors, genres and more which are carefully selected to match our school community and enable children to visualise themselves within books.
Access for all
For readers who are no longer needing the Little Wandle programme, we ensure daily assessment for learning is used by all adults within lessons to support and adapt our reading curriculum. For example, we may use an adaptation through our text choice. We will have focused groups to ensure every child is successful and making progress. To support our more able readers, we ensure that the text choice is challenging to enable higher order discussions and also hierarchical questioning is used to challenge children within our reading curriculum.
We recognise that reading is essential for the children to access other areas of the curriculum. Children are exposed to a variety of reading material across all areas of the curriculum. Our well stocked library is regularly visited by the children where they can select information books to read at home.
To further reading for pleasure as a school, we want reading to be a part of the wider school too. We have completed a reading competition which encourages children of all ages to enjoy their reading books in different places. We also have a great link with our local library, who attend school assemblies throughout the year to keep us up to date on many events they run. In March, every child and adult through the school attends the library for a workshop. Parents / carers also help with these lovely visits and bring our reading to life. Woodside also enjoys annual World Book Day. We dress up, pair up older children with younger children and have even completed class book swaps.
PSHE
Our PSHE curriculum gives pupils relevant learning experiences to help our pupils navigate their world and to develop positive relationships with themselves and others. PSHE encourages the pupils to ask questions and explore through elements of Philosophy for Children, this is based on our enquiry led learning and ensuring that our pupils leave with the confidence, knowledge and vocabulary to challenge and express views and opinions.
The Jigsaw curriculum has been mapped against the fundamental British values of democracy, the rule of law, individual liberty and mutual respect and tolerance of those with different faiths and beliefs which strive to give all of our pupils a wider knowledge of the world outside their bubble. For each year group, there are six units (to be taught 1 per half term). The subject content prepares pupils for wider society outside of education throughout the 6 termly stems and the focus within each one.
RE
The first and foremost objective is for the children at Woodside to be exposed to, celebrate and begin to understand other religions and beliefs that are different from our own. We want to widen the children’s knowledge and understanding of the way people build their moral ideas and values upon. We want them to explore and know about basic teachings of the six main world religions: Christianity, Judaism, Islam, Hinduism, Buddhism and Sikhism.
We also would like the children to reflect upon the why... Why did people do things the way they do? What does it teach us? How does it affect us? Do we agree with it? Why? Our approach to RE is very much based around enquiry. There is not necessarily a right or wrong answer; what’s more important is that they learn to respect differences in beliefs and opinions, that they reflect on the practices of others and they ask themselves about the impact this has on themselves, on others and on the world around us.
Spiritual, Moral, Social and Cultural Development
Pupils’ spiritual development is shown by their:
- Ability to be reflective about their own beliefs, religious or otherwise, that inform their perspective on life and their interest in and respect for different people’s faiths, feelings and values.
- Sense of enjoyment and fascination in learning about themselves, others and the world around them.
- Use of imagination and creativity in their learning.
- Willingness to reflect on their experiences.
- RE – enquiry based lessons that allow children to reflect on their own lives and other religions.
- Circle times – discussing our values and comparing with others.
- Pupil voice.
- Diversity in the school council.
- Assemblies to include celebrations of religious events.
- Jigsaw weekly PSHE lessons - linked to being reflective about everybody.
- Show and Tell, open communication within class, friendship club, assemblies, Woodside values, world books, topics, picture news discussions, RSE curriculum, visitors into school.
- P4C.
- Christmas plays from EYFS and KS1.
- Visits to the church
- Place2Be - counselling support available.
- Geography units.
- RE project / enquiry based learning – discovery RE.
- School trips that link to the topics.
- Curriculum links to their lives, real world – maths.
- Learning without limits learning - choice of challenges - certain subjects.
- Talent shows.
- School productions.
- Children share what they want to find out about before teachers plan topics.
- Child led learning - EYFS.
- Forest school type learning across the school.
- Engaging curriculum and topics that inspire - entry and exit points.
- Engagement with galleries / museums.
- Open afternoons to share work.
- Circle time, RE, open communication within class, buddies working with Key Stage 1, assemblies, Woodside Values, World Books, Topics, SRE week, visitors into school.
- Ivy Parliament, school council, eco council.
- Child centred learning where possible - eg in DT all children designing and making from own ideas.
- Creative writing opportunities.
- Topic WOW days and closing activity, creativity valued and encouraged as a demonstration of understanding and learning.
- EYFS - role play areas.
- Use of drama for writing.
- Choice of presenting work.
- Take one picture - art / cross curricular project
- Learning pit and growth mindset.
- Use of peer and self assessment as part of learning.
- PSHE lessons- weekly celebrations.
- Recapping on learning and Flashback Friday.
- Shining stars assembly - children have opportunity to talk about learning.
- Children set the class rules and agree with their expectations.
- Behaviour strategy gives children the opportunity to reflect on their actions and what appropriate consequences might be.
- Children freely discuss and share their own experiences.
- Opportunities provided within planning and through PSHE / RE etc.
- Class experts when relevant topics are taught.
- Circle time, topic, class discussions, RE sessions, visitors into school prompting discussion.
- School council – plan events and reflect on them.
Pupils’ moral development is shown by their:
- Ability to recognise the difference between right and wrong and to readily apply this understanding in their own lives, recognise legal boundaries and, in so doing, respect the civil and criminal law of England.
- Understanding of the consequences of their actions.
- Interest in investigating and offering reasoned views about moral and ethical issues and ability to understand and appreciate the viewpoints of others on these issues.
- Behaviour policy - restorative and therapeutic approach to behaviour and learning.
- PSHE lessons.
- School values agreed with community – Trustworthy, kind, respectful, determined, responsible, cooperative.
- School council - half termly meetings.
- Pupil surveys.
- Police visits – including assemblies.
- Links with safer schools’ police unit - visits about gangs, use of social media, assemblies.
- Reminders given throughout day about expectations of how we treat others, Woodside values, opportunities for children to share their thoughts and beliefs, games, PSHE,
- Ivy Parliament, school council, eco council.
- Place2Be- counselling support available.
- Reflection.
- PSHE lessons.
- House point with rewards.
- Circle times about right and wrong.
- Children set the class rules and agree their expectations based values.
- PSHE unit charters agreed at start of units.
- Parental engagement.
- Childline visitors / NSPCC.
- English lessons – persuasion, core texts.
- PSHE and circle time.
- Picture news.
- Friday inspirational assembly - led by Year 6.
Pupils’ social development is shown by their:
- Use of a range of social skills in different contexts, including working and socialising with pupils from different religious, ethnic and socio-economic backgrounds.
- Willingness to participate in a variety of social settings, cooperating well with others and being able to resolve conflicts effectively.
- Acceptance and engagement with the fundamental British values of democracy, the rule of law, individual liberty and mutual respect and tolerance of those with different faiths and beliefs; they develop and demonstrate skills and attitudes that will allow them to participate fully in and contribute positively to life in modern Britain.
- CHEXS working with children - including mentors from secondary.
- Playground games.
- PE lessons involving all children.
- Celebrating festivals from other cultures.
- RE lessons - coverage of all key faiths and beliefs.
- PSHE units to cover all key areas linked with our school.
- Behaviour, equalities policy.
- Teaching values to promote respect.
- Teaching British values to promote tolerance for all faiths.
- Dinner hall includes all children – celebration days.
- Sports teams working with other schools (inclusive teams) - sports day that is non competitive.
- Charity events, eg Children in Need, foodbank, Red Nose Day.
- Use of picture news weekly discussions.
- Diversity focus on new resources and curriculum content.
- School trips including residentials.
- Celebration days - eg Royal Events, World Cup celebrations
- Place2Be - counselling support available.
- Teaching values to promote respect.
- Teaching British values to promote tolerance for all faiths.
- Lessons to include all children.
- Fairness when dealing with behaviour - restorative approach.
- Theatre / gallery visits.
- Team building activities within circle time.
- House competitions in sport.
- Outdoor learning.
- Childline visitors/ NSPCC.
- School council voted in by peers.
- House captains / school council / eco council - hustings and voting - democracy.
- Trips to a variety of places, following rules when visiting.
- Well linked school values to British values.
- Circle time
- Anti bullying policy.
- Crucial crew junior citizens - Year 6.
- RE covering major religions.
- Picture news- values page.
- PSHE - jigsaw units.
Pupils’ cultural development is shown by their:
- Understanding and appreciation of the wide range of cultural influences that have shaped their own heritage and those of others.
- Understanding and appreciation of the range of different cultures within school and further afield as an essential element of their preparation for life in modern Britain.
- Knowledge of Britain’s democratic parliamentary system and its central role in shaping our history and values, and in continuing to develop Britain.
- Willingness to participate in and respond positively to artistic, musical, sporting and cultural opportunities.
- Interest in exploring, improving understanding of and showing respect for different faiths and cultural diversity and the extent to which they understand, accept, respect and celebrate diversity, as shown by their tolerance and attitudes towards different religious, ethnic and socio-economic groups in the local, national and global communities.
- PSHE lessons.
- RE discovery curriculum.
- Black History Month.
- Cultural assemblies.
- Visitors in school.
- Assemblies that cover major festivals.
- Sporting activities to include all.
- Listening to a range of music – assemblies music of the month, learning songs from different counties and faiths.
- As part of our curriculum (history / art) children looked at what other cultures have brought to the UK. Foods, language, diversity. Looked at reasons why people settle in the UK and why people might leave their homes.
- Understanding and appreciation of the range of different cultures within school and further afield as an essential element of their preparation for life in modern Britain.
- Curriculum and resources matched to the community within the school.
- PSHE reading spine and English reading spine - linked to varied curriculum.
- RE lessons.
- Crucial crew junior citizens - Year 6.
- Experiences of other cultures.
- Visiting different places of worship.
- Celebrations.
- Celebrating achievements of famous people in merit assembly.
- Behaviour policy links to school values.
- Theatre visits.
- Weekly assemblies about significant dates in major religions.
- PSHE – understanding a sense of belonging and their role in society.
- Engaging parents from different faiths - speakers, cultural week (summer term).
- Focus days and weeks - to support protected characteristics - mental health week, LGBTQ+, neurodiversity, understanding me sessions.
- Knowledge of Britain’s democratic parliamentary system and its central role in shaping our history and values, and in continuing to develop Britain.
- House captains / school council / eco council - hustings and voting - democracy.
- Circle time discussions.
- Weekly update and discussion about issues affecting the school – children understand the parallels between our system and the British democratic system.
- Topical events discussed.
- UK Parliament week.
- Ivy Parliament visit to Houses of Parliament.
- Willingness to participate in and respond positively to artistic, musical, sporting and cultural opportunities.
- Weekly celebrations of children’s work and effort.
- Attending places of worship.
- Charity events.
- Music lessons - learning instruments.
- All taking part in sport weekly, sports day – picnic as a school.
- Visiting galleries and museums with school.
- Class assemblies - Children encouraged to share their talents with the class and school.
- Kapow music - music assemblies and showcases.
- Annual trip to panto.
- Choir.
- Sports clubs
- Piano / guitar lessons offered.
- Church carol service – children reading.
- Annual shows that children perform in (Year 5/6 perform in a real theatre).
- Charity involvement.
- School dinner – cultural, celebration days.
- Geography learning / skills linked to London and Britain.
- Links with other schools.
- Visitors in school.
- Parent volunteers.
- Exhibitions in school to celebrate work.
- RE lessons.
- Faiths and festivals assemblies.
- PSHE - Jigsaw.
- Reading and PSHE book spines, Library restock.
Work linked to Prevent
- Provide a safe space in which children, young people and staff can understand the risks associated with terrorism and develop the knowledge and skills to be able to challenge extremist arguments.
- All staff Prevent trained.
- Policies link to safeguarding.
- Childline visitors / NSPCC.
- Rivers behaviour support.
- PSHE lessons – safety.
- Online bullying e-safety lessons.
- E-safety visitors.
- Circle time.
- Current events – children feel safe to discuss issues with their class teacher. They can talk to their teacher or any adult in the school if they are concerned about any issues at home.
